


With Benefits

by AnaFrost



Category: Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Age of Consent, Alternate Universe - High School, Bedroom Sex, Condoms, Consensual, Crack Crossover, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, From Sex to Love, High School, Hook-Up, Horny Teenagers, Humorous Ending, Implied Sexual Content, Love Bites, Naked Cuddling, One Night Stands, One True Pairing, Pillow Talk, Post The Break Up, Post-Relationship, Protection, Requited Love, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Comedy, Rough Sex, Safer Sex, Secret Relationship, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-01-09 20:12:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaFrost/pseuds/AnaFrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not long after breaking up with his girlfriend, Trunks notices Goten's been acting odd and constantly sneaking off. What could his best friend be up to? And how is the beautiful Hino Rei related to any of this? G/R Tripleshot</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovery

Trunks gazed upon his best friend as he sat across from him at the table, looking anxious. Goten stirred his spoon around the bowl of leftover milk and cereal. Every now and then he'd shift to straighten his posture, the sound of his hand moving across the fabric of his pants. Trunks knew he did that to check his cellphone in his pocket.

"She's not going to call, you know." The lavender-haired teen said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Goten looked at him hysterically.

He cocked a brow in response. "Your ex. She's not going to call." He elaborated.

Goten relaxed upon hearing that. "Oh, yeah…you're right." He gave a nod, looking flustered.

The gears in Trunks's head were turning, something was odd here. When Goten broke it off with his girlfriend he was a complete wreck, sulking on the sofa and moping about to a playlist of break up songs. His mood had improved only a couple of days ago with the exception of one thing, he never stayed around long. He usually had to leave in a hurry. Was it safe to say he was over her? He didn't even seem to have batted an eyelash when he had just mentioned her and the possibility of her never calling him again. It didn't sit well with the young saiyan prince. This was all too suspicious. Hopefully this time he could get to the bottom of it.

The phone let out a notification beep. "Text?" Trunks asked.

Goten flinched as he took out his phone. "Y-Yeah." The spikey-haired teen ogled at the lit screen of his phone to read the message.

"Who's it from?" Trunks asked, pressing his folded hands against his lips.

"Oh, you know those junk messages phone companies send." Goten scoffed and pressed a few buttons. "Well, would you look at the time? I better head out. Thanks for the cereal." He said slowly and got up to stretch.

"And where are you going?" Trunks asked.

"Um, you know, I promised Videl I'd babysit Pan." Goten flashed a smile, his nervous smile he'd wear when lying.

Trunks's lips curled into a smirk. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I'm sure she'd love to have a play date with Bura." He suggested as he got up as well.

That made Goten tense up. "No, no. Uh, you see, Pan needs my help working on a surprise for your sister!" He lied once more through his grin.

"Oh, all right. I hope she'll like it." Trunks decided to play along.

"Of course, you know she will." Goten laughed while waving his hand dismissively while backing out of the room. "See you later." He said before dashing off.

Trunks decided to give him a head start before locking on his ki. Let the game begin.

Trunks hid behind buildings as Goten made his way down town, hoping he wasn't getting himself into trouble. Goten stopped by a bus stop and a large stone staircase and looked around. Trunks made sure to duck out in time and keep his ki hidden. Goten jogged up the steps once the coast was clear. Trunks decided to take the short cut and jump scale the wall with his ability to defy gravity. He hid atop a tall tree and blinked when he noticed it was decorated with familiar looking paper streamers. Trunks's eyes grew wide as they fell upon the building Goten approached.

'A shrine?' He thought in disbelief. So Goten was sneaking away because he found some spirituality? He scratched his head in confusion. This was definitely weird. He couldn't help but think like there was something more to this.

He slid down the trunk of the tree with the stealth of a ninja. Sneaking behind a patch of bushes, he peeked through the leaves to spy on his friend. Goten stopped at a particular sliding door, knocking on the wooden plaque on the wall next to the rice paper laced entrance. The door slid ajar.

"Were you followed?" Came a whisper from what Trunks could make out was a female voice.

"No, I was really careful." Goten answered with a shake of his head.

'Not careful enough.' Trunks thought with a roll of his eyes.

The door then opened fully to reveal a familiar face. Hino Rei? Trunks rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. The hottest girl in school was meeting his best friend in private. Trunks's jaw hit the floor at what came next. Goten, cupping her face and pulling her into a kiss. Trunks held his head in disbelief as she kissed back instead of shoving him off of her and screaming obscenities at him like he would expect her to do. You know, like when the world made sense.

He felt like he was going to have a stroke or something. Goten with Rei, Rei with Goten…his brain was just short-circuiting over how outrageous the idea was. Rei treated Goten like the thorn on her side, giving him cold looks, making snide remarks about his appearance or eating habits, and lived for making sure Goten got caught for whatever mischief he was up to. He was so sure she hated his guts! Goten felt an attraction to Rei since the first day of school, pleading to pair up with her for class projects, hold her books for her, and even being as bold as to ask her to go out with him. Rei had rejected him on all occasions. The two would bicker over how uptight she was or how foolish he was. They fought like cats and dogs. There was no way he would've seen this coming.

Even their other halves were totally opposite to each other. Rei dated an upper class senior named Jed with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was on the honor roll, sophisticated, and made all the girls swoon for him. A total upgrade from an underachiever like Goten's shaggy-haired, disheveled self. As for Goten, he dated…Paresu. It's not that she wasn't a nice girl; she was just not all there. She was spacey and demure versus the intelligent and passionate Hino Rei.

Yet there they were, together wrapped in each other's arms like lovers while locking lips, both of them now single. Could this be a rebound for both of them? Is that why they're meeting in secret?

The two finally parted for air and Rei ran her hands down his chest. "Did you bring what I asked?"

Goten reached in his back pocket and lifted up a handful of condoms. "And they're ribbed," He grinned from ear to ear.

Trunks withheld the urge to jump out of his hiding place and throttle him. Now he was going to get laid with  _his_ condoms! He knew there was a reason for him being in his room while he showered this morning. Well now he knew, Goten had found his stash. Rei took his hand and pulled him inside before closing the rice paper door hastily. Trunks growled and kicked a pebble at his feet. And here he thought he should've been concerned for his friend. Apparently he was totally peachy, getting laid with the hottest girl in school and all.

'Unbelievable!' He thought before taking off back home. As soon as that idiot was done enjoying himself, he was going to be in for some payback.

**A couple of days ago…**

Goten sat at the bus stop looking utterly defeated. Tried as he might he couldn't win his girlfriend back, it really was over for them. Rei had been walking down the sidewalk, heading home from buying some groceries. It looks like she was in for another night of drinking tea by herself. It had been 2 weeks since Jed left her.

'Who needs him anyway?' She thought to herself with a huff. She was mostly over him; it was just the lack of company that upset her now.

A familiar haircut caught her eye as she stopped and noticed Goten sitting there. It was an odd thing, she knew for a fact he lived far away and doesn't take a bus. Why would he be sitting there? She didn't know why but she felt compelled to go up and talk to him.

"Hey, waiting for somebody?" She asked gently stopping beside him.

Goten wiped his face with his sleeve before looking up at her, flashing a smile. "Ah, Hino-san…No, I'm just enjoying this lovely evening." He greeted her with puffy red eyes.

Rei frowned when she saw them. "Have you been crying?" She asked.

She actually couldn't help but feel concerned. She'd never seen him like this before. Son Goten smiled even after taking a dodge ball to the face. She would know; she threw it. For him to cry, it must've been something serious.

"What, no, of course not!" he laughed. "Must be allergies," He said and rubbed his eyes.

Rei decided to take part in his act. "Oh, you think those flowers could be the cause?" She asked, lifting her finger to point at the bouquet beside him.

"Maybe," He said before chucking them into the trash bin next to the bench in order to save face.

Rei couldn't help but crack a small smile at the display, though quickly covering it up afterwards. "You sure are strange."

"So are you." He said. "What kind of woman carries her own groceries when there's a perfectly strong man standing next to her?" He said as he took the bag from her.

"An independent one; and one that would prefer said 'perfectly strong man' to ask her permission to do that next time." She said with narrowed eyes while placing her index finger on his chest.

He merely smiled. "Well, I can't just stand here when there's a pretty girl who needs my help."

"All right, have it your way." She gave a shrug and led the way to the shrine. If he felt like he needed to be a big strong manly man to feel better, there's no harm in letting him carry her stuff. He followed her as he carried her grocery bags while they climbed the shrine steps. When they reached her home, she turned to him and gave him a smile of gratitude. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem." He smiled back. "Do you want me to bring them inside for you, or is this all right?"

"Sure, if you want to stay a while, I could make you a cup of tea for your trouble." She offered.

"Thanks." He said and followed her in, setting her bags on the kitchen counter.

Rei took out the kettle and the tea set from the cupboard. "You can go ahead and make yourself comfortable."

Goten nodded and slid off his shoes before making himself at home. Soon she brought out the tray with the tea set and placed it on the table in her bedroom before sitting down next to him. "Careful, it's hot." She warned.

"No worries." He beamed with confidence. "I can handle it." He said as he took the cup.

The now empty teacups rested on the tray hours later as the room echoed with the sound of laughter. "I'm serious; it took him that long to get it off!" Goten exclaimed in amusement as he had been immersing Rei with enthralling and hilarious stories.

Rei's face was flushed red by how much she had been giggling, having to catch her breath every now and then. "No more, my stomach hurts." Rei held her abdomen between laughs.

Goten let out a tired chuckle. "It feels so good to laugh…" The two then lay on the floor to regain their composure. The two bashfully exchange glances at one another before looking away only to do it again.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not nearly as bad to hang out with as I thought." Rei confessed.

"Thank you." Goten said as he looked upon her face. "You know I think you have the best laugh." He confessed.

Rei felt herself blush at the compliment. "Thanks, no one's ever told me that before…" She whispered.

"…I've always liked you, Rei." Goten said sheepishly, cheeks turning red.

She looked at him in disbelief. Why would he say that? After all the mean things she's done and said to him. "Well, I could've been nicer to you…as hard as it might be to believe, I never really despised you." She frowned before looking away from his eyes.

Goten blinked wondering what to make of her words. Did that mean she liked him back? He reached his hand out to take hers. Rei twitched as his warm hand came into contact with hers yet she didn't pull away when he held it. She hesitantly returned the hold yet felt her stomach go into knots. This was all so surreal.

"Maybe I'm just fond of you now because I've been so lonely and you've…you…" She tried to force out as their faces drew closer, eyelids feeling heavier.

She stifled a moan as their moist lips joined in a kiss. At this point butterflies were flying circles around the knots in her stomach. Her eyes snapped open in horror as she pushed away. "No, stop! Stop!" she pleaded as she pressed a hand against his chest.

"I-I'm sorry, that was so uncalled for. I should've asked you if it was okay." Goten said before putting a hand on his lips, unable to believe he kissed Rei.

"Of course it's not okay! You have a girlfriend!" Rei exclaimed, feeling terrible in her realization.

"No I don't." Goten answered.

Rei looked up at him with a distressed look on her face. "What do you mean you don't?" She asked with uncertainty.

"We broke up a week ago. I-It's over." Goten said sadly.

"Really..?" Rei leaned in slowly, intently watching his movements to see if he was being honest.

"Yeah." He said, looking her in the eye.

Rei threw her arms around his neck and returned the tender kiss they had just shared tenfold. Goten embraced her as he let himself get engulfed in the flames of passion. The two rolled around the floor in their intense make out session. Before either of them knew it, Goten had hoisted Rei up to throw her down on her bed before climbing on top of her. Rei briefly parted their kiss to pull his shirt off and tossed it on the floor. Shortly after, the rest of their clothing and undergarments followed, joining his shirt on the floor.

Rei awoke the next morning feeling very warm…and nude. Her eyes flew open as she became aware of a pair of strong arms holding her waist and a muscular chest pressed against her back in a spooning position. 'Oh god, it wasn't a dream!' She thought as her mind was finally in a state of clarity and racing in panic.

She just had sex with Son Goten! If her friends knew, if anyone knew…Rei bit her lip. She felt like fainting from embarrassment. The most shocking thing about this whole ordeal was that she  _liked_  it. She shook her head frantically to rid herself of such thoughts. She needed to get out of bed and in the shower. She probably has his scent all over her. She blushed as she sat up slowly, stifling a squeak when he tightened his hold on her. She turned to notice he was still asleep, his cheek nuzzling against her back. She pouted in embarrassment, thinking he was holding her like she was some sort of precious stuffed animal. She tried to pry his arms off yet only loosened them enough to slide out of his grasp.

Unfortunately for her she shifted too much of her weight over the edge of her bed and fell off, hitting the floor with a thud.

Goten's eyes fluttered open. "…Hmm?" He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. His eyeballs nearly bulged out of his head when he saw Rei naked on the floor staring back at him.

"D-Don't look at me!" She said and kicked him from the floor, making him fall on his back upon the bed.

"Ouch!" He winced as the sheets covering below his waist were pulled off in a hurry.

Rei wrapped them around herself before standing up.

"What'd you kick me for?" Goten complained while rubbing his now sore chest.

"Cover yourself up!" Rei said and tossed a pillow at his fully exposed crotch.

Goten's mouth hung agape when it dawned on him. "We really had sex last night, didn't we?" He asked.

Rei's disconcerted expression said it all.

"Nice…" Goten nodded to himself with pride.

"No. No, it's not nice! It's a disaster." Rei pointed her finger at him, angry he was getting happy over it.

The smile on Goten's face fell. "Why's that? It was good, wasn't it?" He asked, feeling self-conscious.

"It was, and that's the problem." Rei answered, trying to fix her tussled bedhead. Goten felt somewhat relieved to hear he didn't disappoint in the bedroom but failed to see what the problem was.

"It was amazing…" Rei said as she pushed her bangs back with a worried expression.

"I feel like I'm missing something. We woke up from amazing sex and that's a problem why?" Goten scratched his cheek.

"What the hell is supposed happen now? I mean, I can't just tell my friends I had a one night stand. I never do those kinds of things! Can you imagine how crazy it would sound trying to explain this? Yeah guys, so not even a month went by since my ex left me and I found myself in bed with a classmate!" She was winded out and fell back on the bed at his feet. "…we just got out of our relationships; we can't just start another one." She said on the verge of tears, covering her eyes with her hand.

She felt like she wasn't ready to make any promises which made her feel guilty if Goten felt otherwise.

"Maybe we don't have to." Goten spoke up.

She slowly raised her hand to peek up at him.

"We don't have to date or tell anyone about this. We could just keep having sex and keep it under wraps until we decide on what to do together. We'll be friends with benefits." He grinned.

Rei blinked in astonishment. "That's actually a brilliant idea." She said as she prompted herself up with her elbows.

"No need to thank me, but I only ask for one thing in return for this arrangement." He grinned mischievously.

Rei shrunk back, not sure what he was probably going to extort from her. If he really wanted to, he could blackmail her in this position. He could threaten to out her out in front of the whole school. She'd have to do anything he'd ask.

"I'll need your phone number. How else will I know when's the right time to come over here?" He said and fished for his pants under the bed. He lifted them up and took out his cellphone.

"That's it, my cellphone number?" Rei asked him while holding the sheet against her chest to keep herself covered.

"Well it would be rather awkward having me show up when you've got company over, wouldn't it?" He said and handed the device to her so she could put it in his contact list.

"Right," Her lips slowly curled into a smile before she took the phone.

**Present Day…**

Goten had come back to visit Trunks. "Hello, darling" He greeted him like they were married.

"Hey," Trunks said, not looking away from his laptop as he was typing up a paper.

"Dinner's in the fridge I take it?" He asked while lightly stretching.

"Yeah, you can just heat it up in the-"Trunks looked up and noticed an abnormality on the skin of his friend's neck. "Is that a hickey?" He pointed and asked.

Goten slapped the area he was pointing at, keeping his hand there to cover it. "What? No! I-It's probably just a bug bite." Goten fibbed.

"Ah," Trunks feigned ignorance.

"I, uh, I'm gonna go and get something from the kitchen." Goten nervously began to back out of the room.

"Oh, could you do me a favor while you're up? Throw these condoms out." Trunks said and lifted the box with his stash, dropping it on his desk. "They're all expired." He added.

Goten's jaw fell and he went pale. "E-Expired, all of them..?" He stammered.

"Yeah, but you don't have to worry it's not like you've used any of them lately, right?" Trunks asked nonchalantly.

"Uh, I-I…" Goten stuttered.

"Goten, have you been having sex?" He asked his friend while crossing his arms.

Goten looked at him with a guilty expression.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if you did, you don't have to worry. They're not really expired." He snickered.

"You're such an asshole!" Goten growled. Trunks nearly gave him a heart attack!

"I know who you've been seeing when you're supposedly babysitting, Goten. You owe me an explanation." He said, whirling his computer chair to face him.

Goten gulped in response, there was no way out of this one.


	2. Cornered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Goten and Rei's arrangement. What will become of the two of them?

**AN: Decided to make this a doubleshot since the ideas I wanted to continue the first chapter with were too good to pass up. I'm just going to give you a slight warning for sexual content and language in this chapter even though it's not really that explicit. If you enjoy this, please leave me a review and keep an eye out for my other stories. Thanks!**

"With Hino Rei, Goten? You sure got a lot of explaining to do." Trunks smirked as he got comfortable in his seat.

Goten covered his face and let out a groan in defeat and took a seat on Trunks's bed. He was cornered. Trunks— that ingenious bastard— had caught him! There was no other option but to spill the beans. "You see, I…we…we're fuck buddies. " He admitted.

Trunks bit his lip, fighting the laughs that threatened to burst out of him. "Wow, seriously?" He chuckled in amusement at how ridiculous it was. "I saw you two with my own eyes and I'm still having a hard time believing it."

Goten looked up at him with a horrified expression. "You saw us do it?!"

Trunks lost control and busted out laughing. He then shook his head. "Nah, I left by the time you two went inside. The making out alone was enough of a hint to give you two some privacy." He gave his friend a teasing smile.

Goten's face was beat red as he sheepishly gazed down at the floor. He had been eager to talk to Trunks about this, boast about it constantly even, but he'd given Rei his word. Now he felt timid about what had once been so private between him and the violet-eyed beauty.

"So, what happened with you guys? How'd you come to that little arrangement?" Trunks asked, now much more serious.

Goten looked up to meet his gaze. "Oh, uh, Rei and I sort of bumped into each other on the street a while back and then one thing led to another…" He twiddled his thumbs and cleared his throat. "It was…we got a little caught up in the heat of the moment, I guess."

"So you jumped each other's bones without really planning on it?" The lavender-haired teen asked.

The other demi-saiyan gave a nod. "Yeah, well I kissed her first and then she kissed me…and boy did she really kiss me!" He said gleefully with a proud grin.

"And then you had sex and decided to keep it all hushed up?"

"Uh huh. Since then she texts or calls me whenever she wants me over." He said and checked his phone in case he had any more messages.

Trunks frowned and couldn't help but voice his concerns. "Goten, this whole secrecy thing doesn't sit well with me. Has it crossed your mind that she's just using you for sex?"

Goten tilted his head at him and blinked. "And that's a problem because..?"

Trunks merely scowled at him in response.

"Dude, don't give me that look. Have you  _seen_  her naked? It's a sight worth more than your trust fund!"

"Don't give me that crap. I know damn well you've been madly in love with Rei since sophomore year." Trunks crossed his arms. Being used by the girl he loved for a booty call would make Goten more than a little upset. He knew his friend well enough to know that Goten wanted her heart as badly as her body.

Goten frowned and sighed. "The truth is it was all my idea."

Trunks stared at him in disbelief.

"You see when we woke up the morning after, Rei started to freak out. She said it didn't look right, since both of us got out of our relationships and she just wasn't ready to start another one. I got where she was coming from since I was still sad about Paresu." Goten explained while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you still sad?" Trunks asked.

"Nah, I think I'm finally getting to a place where I can accept it, you know?"

Trunks gave a nod in understanding, relieved his friend wasn't still hurting.

"So that's why I lied, sorry about that." Goten mumbled and scratched his cheek.

"You stole my condoms too." Trunks glared at him.

"Okay, I get it! I'm sorry!" Goten exclaimed, flailing his arms. "You can't really blame me for taking them since you have so many," he huffed childishly.

"You try buying them yourself and you'll understand." Trunks blushed with a pout. Goten had never experienced how embarrassing it was to purchase them in person. He could still remember the assorted looks the clerks and other customers gave him in the pharmacy when they needed a price check. He shuddered, remembering the employees shouting to each other the exact specifications and brand name since their walkie-talkies had been down at the time. He'd had to put his jacket hood over his head to hide his face from the humiliation.

"So… could I still bum some off of you now that you know?" Goten tugged at his shirt collar awkwardly.

"You're kidding. Goten, don't tell me you used up all of them already." Trunks stared at his friend with a stunned expression.

Goten laughed nervously. "What can I say? I just keep on going." He tugged his collar again; unaware that he was revealing a trail of hickeys flowing down his neck.

"Take off your shirt for a second." Trunks ordered.

Goten stared at him questionably before complying and pulling his shirt over his head. Trunks motioned for him to stand up to get a better look.

"Holy crap…Goten, you're covered in hickeys." He gasped as he followed the trail of love bites on his neck all the way down his chest and abdomen.

"I guess she must find me tasty." Goten grinned. "I left some on her too."

Trunks blinked and turned Goten around to examine his back with wide eyes. "Goten, what happened to your back?! Did she throw a wet cat down your shirt or something?" He said as he felt one of the many scratches that decorated his friend's skin.

"Oh, Rei just digs her fingernails into me whenever we're going at it," Goten said with a shrug.

"It looks painful." Trunks mumbled. Being Saiyan, they had a pretty high tolerance for pain, but scratching repeatedly in the same areas could still leave them feeling awfully tender.

"I like it rough." Goten said with a cheeky grin.

Trunks rolled his eyes at him. He couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for Rei. She had to put up with a goofball like him even if it was just for sex. With the stamina of a Saiyan, such a tireless libido like Goten's would be something that would use up a lot of her time and energy. It was a wonder she'd been able to make it to school all right and walk normally.

**3 weeks later…**

Rei smiled as she checked the time on her cellphone while hurrying to the Crown Café to meet the girls. She was on time like always. After all, being punctual was just another way to keep up the appearance that nothing new or suspicious was going on with her. She didn't want her friends to be on to her. She stepped through the door and waved hello to Unazuki, Motoki's younger sister.

"Hi Rei, they're waiting for you in the back room." The red-headed waitress said cheerfully.

"Thanks," Rei smiled before walking to the back room.

She then wondered if there was something important going on, like senshi related business to discuss. They only used the back room for a special birthday party or a very private meeting. She opened the door to find the girls all sitting in a line of chairs with one empty in the middle of the four.

"Hello, Rei." Motoki greeted her, standing by the door.

Rei blinked in confusion. "What's going on here?"

The girls gave her reassuring smiles but everything felt so serious all of the sudden.

"You can go ahead and take a seat if you'd like." Motoki motioned for her to take the available chair.

Rei gave a nod and sat down with Usagi beside her. Usagi pulled her into a hug. Minako, who sat on the other side of the miko, joined in. Rei's lips curled into a frown.

"I'll just give you ladies some privacy, now that you're all together." Motoki said and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, what's going on? Don't tell me somebody died or something." The senshi of fire said nervously.

"Rei, we're all here today because we love you," Ami spoke up.

"We just want you to sit here and listen to what we have to say, all right?" Makoto asked.

Rei went rigid. It couldn't be… She glanced at everyone's faces all over the room. Oh dear sweet god it was!

"An intervention," Rei mumbled meekly.

"Rei, we've all been very concerned about how you've been cooped up at home lately." Minako frowned.

"It's like we only see you at school now," Makoto said.

"Yeah, once that bell rings, you just pack up and want to head straight home; no shopping, no wanting to hang out at the Crown…" Usagi pouted, eyes beginning to water.

"I…I've just been busy." Rei stammered, trying not to cave under her princess's teary eyes.

"You've never been too busy to cancel or miss our study sessions," Ami added.

"We just feel like you've just been shutting yourself away from the world." Minako ran her hand soothingly down the priestess's back.

"It's a guy, isn't it?" The warrior of Jupiter asked intuitively.

"W-What..?" Rei stiffened in Usagi and Minako's embrace.

"Rei, if this is about Jed, you know we're here for you," Makoto sighed, having fair experience in the heart break department.

"That's right; you don't have to stay home all alone anymore. Talk to us, spend time with us," Usagi said, squeezing her arm lightly in a show of reassurance.

"You guys…" Rei relaxed and blushed, both moved and embarrassed for them and their clear misunderstanding of the situation.

To be fair, it wasn't too far-fetched. There she was, broken up with her first serious boyfriend because he was graduating. She wasn't spending time with her girlfriends and shopping like she normally would. And they probably thought she was home alone sobbing over that no good loser and eating away her sorrows with a tub of ice cream.

In reality, she had been calling up her new 'friend' and engaging in fervent coitus until they saw stars. God, and did he leave her exhausted whenever they'd finished! Majority of the time she'd have to fight to pick herself up just to use the bathroom afterwards. There was no way she'd have the energy to walk a mall after such an intense workout, much less leave the shrine. All she'd want to do is curl up next to him in bed and sleep, surrounded by his warmth. The thought made her cheeks turn a darker shade of red.

"Just last weekend you promised you were gonna come to the beach with us and you never showed." Usagi's lower lip quivered.

"I was actually getting ready until-!" Rei began but covered her mouth, knowing she couldn't blurt out the truth of what had happened that day.

"Until what, Rei..?" Makoto cocked her brow and tilted her head at her inquisitively.

"I-It's not important. Look, I'm not shutting anyone out. I've just…taken up a new hobby, in the last couple of weeks! Yeah, I've been working out." The raven-haired girl put on a bright smile, satisfied that it was a convincing fib.

"Huh, now that you mention it, you do look pretty cut." Makoto nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah, and your complexion's great too. You're glowing," Minako said, observing her face closely.

"You think so?" Rei touched her face, flattered by the blonde's compliment.

"Yeah, just what kind of exercise have you been doing?" Minako smiled, interest perking.

Rei flinched before the answer came to her. "Yoga," she said with a straight face.

Minako cringed in response. The blonde was usually athletic but wasn't as flexible as Rei or Makoto so she'd pass on that trip to the gym.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I worried all of you but the truth is I'm over Jed. In fact, I'm happy." The miko gave a warm smile to her friends. She exhaled in relief as the tension in the room seemed to clear up with that sincere declaration. "And I promise I'll make more time for you guys so we can hang out more."

"Well, that's good to hear." Ami smiled.

"Yeah, next time don't hesitate to tell us what's going on." Minako said and playfully poked her.

"Just don't bail on us again like you did when we were going to the beach! You had us worried sick. We called like nine times and you didn't pick up." Usagi flailed her arms in desperation.

"Sorry, something came up last minute and Grandpa made me stay home…it won't happen again." Rei bit her lip, recalling that day. She was sure she had heard something in between her screams.

_**Flashback to last weekend…** _

Rei waved Grandpa off as he left to go play poker with a couple of friends of his. Once she finished sweeping, she headed into their house in the back in order to change into her swimsuit. She'd promised her friends she'd go to the beach with them days in advance and she was looking forward to it. Stepping into her room, she stripped down to her skin and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could definitely use a nice tan. After all, she hardly got any sun, what with being indoors a lot and wearing robes all the time.

Her violet eyes widened as her sight stopped on a spot on her neck that was a flushed, rosy color in contrast to her usually porcelain-colored skin. She groaned and held her head. "No, no, no! Not a  _hickey_ ," She whined, sounding almost like Usagi would.

She couldn't cover it up with makeup like she did for school. The only swimsuits she had were bikinis, too. She sighed and got a closer look in the mirror. She blushed when she noticed the trail along her neck and chest. "Stupid Goten!" She fumed.

The guy usually suckled the skin on her neck greedily like a gluttonous leech. Well that'd have to stop until beach season was over! Her lips curled into a frown as she gathered her hair in her hand over her shoulder to cover that side of her neck. "Maybe if I wear my hair like this in a braid, no one will notice…" She wondered out loud.

She then considered wearing a shirt over her bathing suit during the whole outing and staying out of the water. Then she considered not going at all. "No, I said I'd be there. I have to go," She said to herself assertively.

Snatching the bikini bottoms off from the rack in her closet, she pulled them on before she heard the floorboard outside her room creak. She let out a gasp as the door slid open and covered her breasts.

Her gaze met an all too familiar pair of coal black eyes that stared back at her in amusement. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He stepped in and gave her a sheepish smile, closing the door behind him.

"Goten?! What are you doing here?" Rei didn't cease in keeping herself covered even though he had pretty much memorized every curve of her body.

"I was having lunch nearby and thought I'd drop in and surprise you." He grinned.

"Well, mission accomplished. I'm surprised. And we agreed you weren't going to do that!" She hissed.

"Yeah, in case you had company but no one's here. Not even your grandpa." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"How'd you know that? Have you been staking out the shrine?!" Rei sputtered heatedly.

"What? No." Goten frowned. "I can just usually tell when he's home or not mostly by his scent. I've got a very good sense of smell, you know," he said in a matter of fact tone. He made the habit of monitoring the kis at the shrine but her grandfather's natural musk was also a dead giveaway.

"Fascinating," Rei deadpanned.

"Hey, I'm telling the truth." Goten pouted, walking over to her.

"How did you manage to get in?" Rei stepped back warily.

"You left your door unlocked, clumsy." He beamed in response to tease her.

"I am not clumsy!" She growled.

"No, you're gorgeous." He said as he looked her up and down. He had seen her naked countless times, touched her, and even tasted her. Yet she always became more tantalizing to him than the last time. He could never get tired at staring at her perfection.

"Of course I am." Rei said with a roll of her eyes, trying not to let the comment or her racing heartbeat disarm her. She turned her head to look away from him, the redness on her face evident.

His fingers gently turned her chin back to face him and he placed a slow kiss on her lips.

She inwardly cursed as she felt herself melt into it and closed her eyes, kissing him back. "What you said about smelling if Grandpa's home; is that really true?" She mumbled when they parted, eyes still closed.

"Mm hmm," Goten gave her lips another kiss and held her against him. "He usually smells like spicy curry and bitter tea," he mused.

Rei snickered against his chest. "Sounds like him, all right. What about me?" She asked as she glanced up at him.

"You smell like cherry blossoms in spring time," he murmured before kissing her again.

"I do..?" She whispered, feeling her head spin.

"Yeah," he purred, running his large warm hands down the skin of her back.

She shivered at the sensation and could feel goose bumps starting to form. "Goten, I can't." She frowned and hesitantly pulled away from him.

Goten looked shocked and even a little hurt. "What do you mean you can't?" He asked. Was she going to end things because he'd dropped in uninvited?

"I'm going to the beach with my friends soon. Otherwise, I would've called you over," she said and playfully thumped him on the chest in order to get him to cheer up.

"Oh, the beach…right. That sounds fun." Goten smiled with relief. "I imagine it's a girl's only event too, right?"

"Bingo." She smirked.

"What if I wear a girl's swimsuit?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"You're such a pig!" Rei shoved him, earning a laugh out of him. She shook her head and grabbed her bikini top to tie on.

Goten sat on her bed and twiddled his thumbs as he waited for her to finish braiding her hair. "So I don't suppose you'll let me rub you down before you leave, right?"

Rei shot him a glare. "Does everything have to be about sex with you?"

He merely smirked coyly. "I was talking about sunscreen. Who's the pervert now?"

Rei's face turned as red as a fire engine. "I…Ugh, never mind. Here," she growled and handed him the bottle. She hated it when he did that. The guy was dense but was never short of something clever to say that would leave her stunned every now and then.

She rested on her stomach in bed as he rubbed the lotion on her back while massaging her. Her head began to spin again and she bit back a moan. Why did it always have to feel so good when he touched her? Just last month she would've vomited at the idea of him putting his hands on her but now just the  _thought_ left her hot and bothered. She let out a sigh of pleasure when she felt his hands begin to slide under her bathing suit. By then she was willing putty arching into his hands. Judging by how forward his fingers were, Goten couldn't stand it much longer either.

He spun her around to face him and kissed her passionately. Rei eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down against her. Their clothes went flying to the floor just as they had ever since that very first night. It wasn't long before they tussled and rocked their hips against one another, crying out in ecstasy. Hours went by like a blur, both too caught up in their intense carnal needs to pay any mind to the world around them. Neither of them wanted to stop until they were both satisfied and on the brink of collapsing.

Rei gasped as she rolled on her back, panting for breath. Her trembling hand clutched the thin ruffled sheet against her bare chest while her free one rested on her forehead. "Oh my god..!"

Goten propped himself up with his hands and elbows to keep from falling on her, skin laced with sweat and wearing quite the fulfilled look on his face. He didn't need to say anything to express how good it was. Not that he could articulate it at the moment, being winded and all.

She gazed up at him with an amused look in her eyes. This was one of the very rare moments she had ever seen Son Goten speechless. Her hands shook as they ran through his messy hair and she raised her head to give him a short, tender kiss. She wished things didn't have to be this way, she somewhat felt guilty having so much sex. So why'd it have to be so damn incredible?

Goten leaned in and kissed back in spite of needing more time to get some air back in his lungs. He never refused a kiss from her and was convinced he never would. Her lips were deliciously intoxicating to him and he couldn't get enough.

Rei moaned against his lips and gently pulling away for air; any longer and she would have gotten too dizzy and passed out. The violet, moist, hazy eyes he adored glanced up at him. "...can't breathe," she whispered.

Goten laughed a little. "Sorry." He felt her pull him down to lie beside her and cuddle. He nuzzled his cheek against her shoulder affectionately in response.

Her lips curled into a smile as they held one another, slender fingers caressing his broad shoulders. The smile faded when she saw the scratches left by her fingernails. She felt his back and trailed her finger tips along the collection of scratches she had left in recent days.

"Does it hurt?" She frowned, now feeling guilty at the idea of causing him physical pain.

"No, not at all," he said and kissed her gently.

She felt her heart flutter at that as she returned the kiss. Every time he came over and had sex with her she couldn't help but feel as if she was beginning to like Goten more and more. She was even so bold as to sneak a smile at his direction in the middle of class every now and then. Sex aside, she didn't expect to feel this weak in the knees for him.

His hand caressed her cheek as his eyes took in the sight of her. Her skin was flushed all over, pink lips slightly swollen from kissing, and her normally perfect hair was ruffled wildly. He etched every detail of her appearance into his mind. She looked so different than how she did at school; she looked all the more alive. She didn't have to put up her defenses, worry about how she appeared. When it was just the two of them, she could let loose, be herself.

No doubt she was never like this around Jed. The thought of her with her ex had him suddenly feeling annoyed and jealous. He had never liked the jerk. Jed only wanted a girl on his arm, a prim and properly behaved one. He wasn't really taken with Rei's unrestrained and outspoken self, he'd just pretended to be. No one could love the fiery spirit inside of Rei like Goten did.

He frowned at the thought. No matter how many times he would show her with his body, it was never enough. Rei really had no idea just how much he truly loved her. And what terrified him was if he voiced it, he'd risk scaring her off.

"Hey…why the long face? I thought you enjoyed having sex with me," she spoke up, trying to be humorous, and brushed her fingers through his hair. Seeing the sad look in his eyes tugged at her heart strings.

"I do, very much." He cracked a small smile.

"Then why are you so glum?" She shifted her position in order to get comfy, preparing to listen to him and his woes.

He swallowed hard and tried his best to choose his next words wisely. "I was just thinking that I want to…take you places."

Rei lifted a brow. "Are you suggesting going to love hotels or something..?" She blushed at the thought of how scandalous it would be to actually get a room together.

"No, not that, I mean outside," he stammered, blushing as well from her misunderstanding.

"Y-You mean you want to do it outdoors?!" Rei's eyes widened at her conclusion.

Goten shook his head. "No, I mean I want to take you out on a date!" He blurted out.

Rei froze. "You want to take me out on a date..?" She repeated.

"Yeah…it'll only be the two of us, if you still want to keep us a secret. Or we can double date with some friends to make it less awkward! …But if you don't feel like taking that next step, then you can go ahead and forget I said any of that." He groaned and covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"You want to take the next step?" Rei asked timidly, fumbling with the sheet in her hand.

The spiky-haired teen nodded. "I do, but if you're not ready or you just don't want to, I get it. I'll still keep to our deal," he mumbled sincerely.

Rei pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "I do want to…but I need a little more time," she finally answered after a moment of silence.

He gave her a hopeful smile and took her hand to kiss it. "I'll wait, as long as it takes."

_**End Flashback** _

The girls filed out of the arcade since things seemed resolved with the intervention. Rei was thankful it easily went back to the way it was and they chatted and gossiped like they usually did.

"Rei-chan, I'm so glad you're happy," Usagi said and hugged her guardian's arm.

"Yeah, that loser's not worth it. It's his loss." Makoto smirked.

"No duh, Rei can have any man she wants. But she deserves a guy that'll treat her right…like the precious Shinto flower she is," Minako added with a grin.

"S-Shut up..!" Rei hissed as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. They knew Rei was not a virgin but Minako never ceased to make cracks about how she'd expected Rei to live her life as a celibate nun.

The girls giggled at the exchange. "Don't worry Rei, I'm sure there's a guy out there that'll fall madly in love with you and do whatever it takes to make you happy. Hell, maybe he'll even motivate you to try sex again," Minako snickered.

"Yeah, real funny…" Rei grumbled, inwardly going over her words as she thought of a certain guy in particular.

"So, are we still on for the festival tomorrow night?" Usagi asked, changing the subject.

"Just us girls..?" Rei asked with her interest peaking up a bit.

"It's a festival. We can all invite whoever we want and go in a big group as friends," Ami stated.

"Friends," Rei repeated with a smile. "Okay, count me in."

Usagi and Minako high fived while cheering, making Makoto laugh.

"See you then, bye!" The girls waved farewell once Rei came to her stop at the shrine steps.

Rei worked up the nerve to take out her phone and speed dial a certain someone as she walked up the steps. It looks like she might have found a way to slowly fit Goten in with her time with the girls and not reveal their little secret yet. If they liked him, then maybe their secret wouldn't have to be a secret for long.

She took a deep breath as the phone rang.

Goten immediately answered it on the second ring, panting like he had run a great distance to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me…" Rei smiled.

"Hey, you…" He said teasingly and chuckled.

"About what you said last weekend, I think I might be ready," she said as she kept making her way up the steps.

"You mean it?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, so are you doing anything tomorrow night?" She reached the top of the stairs and covered her mouth, laughing at the sound of his victorious cheering and rejoicing on the other line.


	3. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I tried to leave this a double shot but WHOOPS! After finally saying yes, Goten and Rei's first official date takes some very interesting turns! What will become of their new relationship?

**AN: I TRIED to leave this as a double shot. I really did. Then I made the mistake of listening to Sleeping with a Friend by Neon Trees. That damned infectious tune hit my creative spirits into overdrive. I hope you're happy, world! Also, thanks for the love! This story recently got over 2,500 hits on Fanfiction.net!**

**If you have a Tumblr account you are welcome to open conversations and such via asks in my inbox. I'm usually very quick to respond there. Check my profile for more info and the link to there.**

* * *

Goten paced around and kept glancing back at the clock to his reflection, taking a few moments to pause in between to adjust his hair. It was starting to drive Trunks nuts.

"You look nervous."

Goten froze in place. "Is it that obvious?"

"Sweaty palms, constant fidgeting, looking at the clock every few seconds, and let me take a wild guess…You're probably feeling nauseous right about now, aren't you?" Trunks listed the traits while counting them on his fingers.

"How'd you know?" He hissed, his eyes growing wide.

"Dude, you're as green as Piccolo."

Goten let out a not so masculine gasp and hurried to the mirror to check. "Ha-ha very funny," he grumbled when he turned around to find his friend smirking at him.

"You are a bit on the pale side though. Maybe you should eat something."

"Yeah, I'm actually not hungry."

"Oh my Beerus, is the world ending?" The heir to Capsule Corp. gasped for dramatic effect while clutching at his chest.

"Quit joking, my stomach's in knots already!" He exclaimed in annoyance, the spikes of hair on his head flaring upwards.

"What do you have to be nervous about? Dates are your specialty. Plus you've been inside Rei more times than you've been in your own underwear the last few weeks. So that is not unexplored territory." Trunks cracked a reassuring smile. Pitiful as it looked, he found Goten's nervousness rather endearing. He was much more sensitive compared to him when it came to girls.

"You don't get it. She called me! After I asked her out, she finally called and wanted to take the next step. This is like a wish come true for me. I don't want to let a single thing go wrong on this date. At the end of the day, all I want her to see is how good we can be together." He felt his face heat up over the confession. Trunks was right when he said he'd been madly in love with her.

"Hey, if she was the one that called then there's already a good chance things will go well." He placed his hand on his lifelong friend's shoulder. "Listen, Hino Rei picked you. She picked you, among the hordes of mortal men that throw themselves at her feet daily and she held on to you." He poked his chest to emphasize his point.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better..?" Goten eyed him with a pout. He made it sound like winning her affections was some miraculous fluke.

"Getting there, just stating the facts." Trunks chuckled good-naturedly. "Point is you are a lucky guy. There's something about you Rei can't shake off. Be it your big heart, your sense of humor, or the oversized trouser snake you're packing. That said, just be yourself and let everything fall into place."

Goten felt his friend pat him on the back encouragingly and nodded. "Thanks, man." Trunks always kept it real. Maybe he was a lucky guy after all. "Wait, my trouser snake isn't that big is it..?" He gaped up at him with wide eyes.

"Get out of here, Goten. It's almost time for your date anyway." Trunks rolled his eyes. It wasn't like his size scared Rei anyway.

"Crap, how does time keep doing that?" Goten exclaimed looking at the clock. He was just leaving but caught his reflection in the mirror and hurriedly fixed his hair before speeding out.

* * *

Rei rolled up the sleeve of her yukata and checked the time on her wristwatch. Given, she had arrived early and frankly it was only a half hour before everyone said they were going to meet up; but there was room to be a little antsy right?

Her hand dug into her sash and she pulled out her phone to check for any missed messages. No texts from her date but one from Usagi saying Makoto was fixing her sandal strap, ending it with an array of frantic looking emoticons. That was just like her.

The shrine maiden took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'Relax its better this way. If Goten gets here first it'll save the awkwardness of beginning the date with the girls prying.' She mentally soothed herself. For the first time, she found herself nervous before a date. She took extra care on how she tied and presented her yukata, the way she styled her hair, and even her make-up. Normally she just put the same amount of effort on dates as she would appear in school every day, just a flashier dress or a miniskirt to show off her legs more.

Now she was feeling like she might have gone overboard, for Goten of all people! That idiot could see her in a potato sack and be drooling buckets. After all, there was little imagining to be done since he can recognize her naked body blindfolded at this point. Boy did she feel silly. Fretting over him like a cliché schoolgirl with a crush.

"Wow," she heard an all too familiar voice say breathlessly in awe from behind.

She turned around after shoving her phone back and blinked. There was her idiot, looking like he went out of his way to look presentable as well, holding a single wildflower. He wore a well pressed button down shirt with a light jacket on top over a pair of clean jeans. For a farm boy, he sure could clean up nicely.

"You don't look half bad yourself." A smile tugged at her rosy colored lips.

"Thanks," he laughed nervously, inwardly relieved she wasn't pointing out anything wrong. She was always the type of girl to give backhanded compliments when he was doing things right. "Here," he offered the flower to her.

"Thank you," Rei's cheeks colored as she accepted it. She smelled its sweet fragrance before pinning it up with her hair.

"Rei-chan..!" Usagi exclaimed through the crowd as the group of friends were approaching the couple.

"About time you all made it." Rei crossed her arms.

"Well the sandal crisis is averted thanks to Mako's ingenuity." Minako proclaimed while gesturing at the tall brunette of their group. Makoto merely blushed and shrugged in response.

"Nice, lucky you girls could all get here." Goten spoke up from beside the shrine maiden.

"Son-kun, I didn't know you were going to be here." Usagi cocked her head and blinked.

"Well, about that—" He swallowed not sure what sort of answer would be green lit by Rei. What if she didn't want them to know? Could she still be worried about what it would look to be with him?

"He's here with me." Rei's voice cut in, leaving him in awe. "It's a public event anyway."

"What..?" Minako's eyebrow twitched as the rest of the girls' eyes widened in surprise. Now this came to quite a surprise considering the only dynamic of the couple they've been exposed to would be childish bickering and sometimes one-sided pining on his end. To hear an admission of such from Rei was out of this world.

Goten fought the overwhelming urge to smack himself in the face in hopes he didn't just dream that. She actually backed him up, she wasn't ashamed. He flinched when he felt her arm loop around his so they would lock together.

"Come on, Goten. How about you win me a stuffed animal?" Rei asked while starting to walk away from the group.

"S-Sure," his cheeks colored, still too much in shock to speak eloquently.

"Is Rei messing with us or did that really just happen?" Minako finally came out of her confused daze.

"This is great! If they're really dating then I wish them luck. Son-kun is really funny and sweet." Usagi beamed.

"I guess opposites really do attract." Ami stated, still perplexed.

"I'm not buying it. Something tells me Rei didn't want to come alone." Makoto furrowed her brow, not sure what to make of this. Being a hopeless romantic herself, she saw a lot of herself in Goten when he'd pine for Rei and give her longing looks. Rei would retaliate with either her quick temper or standoffish attitude.

The girls had tried to nudge her at his direction for group projects in order to see if they'd talk and make things less tense between them only to fail. Once they each had a significant other, things between them thankfully fizzled out as it appeared that Goten moved on. Then Makoto heard a while ago that Paresu broke it off with Goten. Now here they were together like it was no big deal and Rei didn't fight tooth and nail to avoid being there with him. No, it all looked…natural.

The quartet of ladies observed the couple in awe for the next hour as if they were the main attraction. Witnessing Rei smile and laugh like she did around him, a far cry from her usual frigid demeanor around men, felt so surreal. Her friends made note of every little touch they shared, harmless, yet seemed so intimate at the same time. Rei wasn't usually a physically affectionate person unless it was to comfort her friends. Seeing her touch Goten, the guy she swore she wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, in such a friendly manner blew their minds.

"You don't think," Minako began. "She's doing him, do you?" She added in a whisper.

"I don't know. Rei is always the type to make guys wait forever." Usagi murmured back.

"Yeah well Goten's been crushing on her since sophomore year," Makoto added. "I think he indirectly met the time limit."

"Could it be a rebound for both of them? If their relationships ended around the same time then they might have connected from being in the same post-breakup position." Ami deduced, whipping out her glasses out of nowhere just to put them on for effect.

"You think it was a mercy fuck?" Minako narrowed her eyes. "Maybe Rei was just so happy a guy as nice as Goten gave her attention that she threw him a bone? Or he threw her the bone," she giggled at the turn of phrase.

Ami and Usagi shook their heads, although inwardly amused at Mina being herself.

"Whatever it is, it's suspicious." Makoto thought out loud. This wasn't setting well with her. If this was Rei pretending to be interested in Goten then she couldn't sit by and watch this play out. Rei was usually a straightforward person but if there was something she wanted, she would turn up the charm a couple of notches in order to get it. The guardian of thunder wondered if this was the reason behind her friend's behavior being so out of the ordinary.

"Here you go your favorite." Goten smiled and handed her the stuffed panda bear.

"How did you know?" Rei looked at him in surprise.

"The stationary in your notebook had pandas on them." He smiled.

Rei blushed at that. He must have meant the planner in her room. She never took it to school because it looked too childish in comparison to her other notebooks. However she never had it in her to throw it away. She found them so cute, kind of like her date. Her lips tugged into a gorgeous smile when he pulled out his phone to take their photo in selfie fashion, his arm wrapping around her.

"Smile," he grinned as the camera light flashed. "Okay one more, just you and the bear." He let go of her and took a few steps back and looked through the viewer screen. "Cute," he grinned after he snapped the photo. The camera returned on his screen and what he saw in the view finder made his silly smile vanish.

There she was walking in the background, Paresu. Her hand locked with Kumada Yuuichirou as they walked together having a swell time.

"Goten, what's the matter?" Rei's hand tapping his shoulder brought him out of his shock and he realized he had been staring.

"Sorry, it's nothing, probably a problem with my screen!" He said to save face.

The sound of firecrackers on the ground went off and Rei whipped her attention behind her and caught sight of who was strolling behind the playing children. "Goten, isn't that?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

"But she's with," she began.

"Yeah," he cringed.

He knew there was history with Rei and Yuuichirou, considering the man worked at the shrine for years. Goten never really asked her if the rumors about them were true, mostly because he didn't want to know. It could have been out of fear. He and Yuuichirou seemed to share their relentless affection for the shrine maiden in common. Perhaps that would probably be all they had in common.

Yuuichirou came off as someone that was way too desperate. In comparison to Goten; who pleaded with Rei to let him carry her books, but only until the beginning of junior year! Yuuichirou was kind yet made it clear he was too available, chauffeuring her to school by bicycle. He even briefly moved in to the shrine just to be closer to her, under the guise of studying to be a priest. Despite all of this, Rei never publicly acknowledged her relationship with him like she did with Jed. It made Goten more uncomfortable than jealous. Yuuichirou was older than her by four years and seemed to not have done anything remarkable with his life aside from being born into wealth. Was that what happened when you lost yourself in another person?

Goten didn't know what became of their past relationship. However, he did know who he was and while his feelings for Rei were overwhelming, he never lost sight of his dignity. And that was probably why there was more of a backbone on his side when it came to their bickering.

Nonetheless, now Goten was more concerned if his date's mind was wandering back to her past while it was holding hands with his. This was bound to make things awkward for them on the first date, right? Rei turned to him and looked him in the eyes. He offered a small smile back.

"Do you want to get out of here? I mean, if seeing them makes you uncomfortable. I wouldn't mind taking the date elsewhere." The shrine maiden offered, holding her stuffed bear by the arms.

Goten felt his heart sink. Hearing Rei say that, he could tell she was more worried about him. After all, this whole new relationship started because she found him crying on the last day he tried to win his ex back.

"Nah, you're dressed up for a festival and we're starting to have fun. I'll be okay with you around." He said with a heartwarming look in his eyes.

"All right then, just let me know if you've had too much fun." She shrugged with a smile offering him her free arm while the other held her prize.

"Never," he grinned as he took it.

The date progressed steadily with more activity and they were back to being immersed with each other's company. The fun had to take a detour when the inevitable happened and Goten confessed he was hungry.

They had seats at a high table that overlooked the lake. It was rather romantic, aside from Rei's four friends at the next table blatantly staring at them.

"Why aren't you girls eating with us?" Goten thought out loud.

"Oh, that table's wobbly." Minako waved her hand dismissively.

"Besides you two could use the privacy." Usagi grinned.

"Uh huh," Rei scoffed, "Privacy," she rolled her eyes.

Goten slurped up his yakisoba noodles blissfully while Rei was finishing the last of her yakitori. She couldn't help but shake her head as he ate and ate. He was always hungry and once upon a time his eating habits used to drive her insane. She remembered scolding him about table manners and avoiding eating like a pig. Now she noted a bit of improvement on his end, he wasn't so quick and desperate to down everything which led to less choking. He did need to work on one thing.

"Here," Goten paused when Rei stretched her arm across the table with a napkin in hand. Goten paused to lower his hands, preparing them to reach for what she was offering. Much to his surprise Rei did the work for him and gently wiped up his sauce stained face. He blinked in surprise, caught off guard by such a gesture. He was rather touched she would do something like this in front of her friends. He then flushed remembering her friends were witnessing all of this happening and was uncomfortably aware of the sets of eyes on them.

Not paying attention to what he was doing, he spilled the noodles on the front of his pants before he realized the container even tipped over the table. "Oh no," he frowned. "Mom won't let me hear the end of this. That looks like it can stain."

"Told you it was wobbly," Minako muttered under her breath.

Rei shot her a look before taking his hand. "Come on, there's some restrooms this way." As she walked him far enough away, Goten broke the silence.

"Hey, I'm sorry if seeing my ex made things awkward. I just want you to know that things are good for me now. After all, this is the best date I've ever been on."

Rei looked back at him and smiled. "Well, I'm just glad you're not upset about it anymore."

Goten nodded. "Me too. Besides, it wouldn't have worked out anyway. Paresu always cared about what her parents wanted and that's someone from an important family with money."

"Yeah," Rei sighed. "Yuuichirou sounds like the perfect match for her," she added.

Goten didn't say anything but she knew exactly what was going on in his mind from the way he looked at her. "He was my first. I was 15, and I thought it was love. In the end I just felt like I owed him after all he did for me. Then I let him go." Rei said, not happy bringing up the details of her first relationship. She remembered how in shock she was over how painless that breakup was on her end. Yuuichirou was miserable and she only felt bad that she couldn't bring herself to cry over it. She secretly felt like a terrible person afterwards and maybe started acting meaner because of that.

"I'm happy to see he's moved on now," she admitted honestly as they approached the restrooms.

Outside the restroom building near the fountains and sink Rei had handed Goten paper towel after paper towel as he scrubbed his pants clean. "Its your lucky day, its all coming out.

"Awesome, looks like I can go on my merry way with my lovely date!"

"Hold on, you missed a spot." Rei shook her head and took a moist paper towel for herself and bent down, knees almost touching the ground. She wiped up and down the inside of his clothed thigh. The light yet quick sensation of her scrubbing was doing something to him. It also wasn't helping seeing her eye level with his crotch.

"Wait, s-stop," he blushed as he felt his body react without his control.

Rei already saw what was happening. How could she not? She had a front row seat. "Goten, I'm just cleaning down here." She hissed as her face was turning red. Hopefully she didn't give him the wrong idea about her intentions.

"I know, I know! I swear it just has a mind of its own right now." He replied, face redder than hers. "Plus you just look so pretty tonight," he cleared his throat and covered his bulge with his hands. He was fighting the naughty thoughts flying through his head about how easy it would be to just unzip himself free and-"I should really use the bathroom now."

"Yeah that would be best," Rei couldn't help but crack a smile. Sure, it was awkward. However, considering all they've done together, this sort of thing was harmless. The shrine maiden rose to her feet but lost her balance for a second.

Her date caught her in time and she was pressed against him and his hard spot. Her eyes went wide when she felt a throbbing sensation. "Yeah, that needs to be taken care of." Once she was back on her feet, he still had his hands around her waist.

"Already going to," Goten said, still flustered. "Unless you want to join me?" He cracked a helpless smile.

"I think I'll pass," Rei snorted. "Don't you know I don't put out on the first date?"

"Can't blame me for asking." He winked before pecking her on the cheek and dashing into the mens room. "Meet you back at the table!" He called out.

Rei walked back to the table with all the girls with an amused smile other lips.

"What's that look for?" Usagi grinned.

"Nothing, the blockhead just needed extra help and had to go into the bathroom." Rei shrugged.

"Okay Rei, fess up," Makoto got serious. "You have been glued to Goten's side all night and even holding hands. What is all that about? Does this have something to do with Yuuichirou and Paresu being here tonight? Are you going sweet on Goten to make one of them jealous?"

"Mako, Goten is my date." Rei offered, then realizing how crazy that sounded the moment it left her lips. "He asked me out and I said yes."

"Is he really? Or did you only say yes because you felt sorry for him since he and Paresu broke up?" Makoto narrowed his eyes.

"Mako, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you shouldn't play the poor guy if you're not genuinely interested in him. Word around town is that Jed is partying here tonight. And it wouldn't be surprising that you were with Goten just to get back at him. Honestly, this wouldn't be the first time you overlooked someone's feelings to get what you want."

Rei felt the inside of her chest go cold upon hearing that. Then her trusty self defense mechanism kicked in and she was livid. "Mako, this is MY date! So how about you stay the hell out of it!" She exclaimed before storming off.

Never had she been so hurt and confused before. Hell, this was topping her own break up with Jed! Makoto meant well but she also knew all of her flaws. Now those comments were all sinking in. What if she was right? Were the feelings she had for Goten real or did she just like having him because he was there?

She stopped to take a deep breath out in the clearing away from the crowd. Her arms went around herself while her lips fell into a pensive frown.

"Well, it's a small world after all."

Rei blinked and looked up behind her to see her tall, blonde, jerk wad of an ex approach her.

"Long time no see, Rei. You know I was just thinking about you." He slurred and stepped closer. The smell of booze on his breath was strong enough for her to pick up. "You're looking good, damn good. I always did say a body like yours was irreplaceable."

"Too bad you were still stupid enough to sleep with some country club girl instead. Beat it, Jed." Rei cocked her head at the direction for him to leave.

"Now that's not nice. I just wanted to catch up. You here alone?" He smirked.

"Actually, no. I'm not here alone. Turns out you're pretty expendable. I found a major upgrade." Rei met his eyes and smirked back smugly.

"An upgrade?" Jed threw his head back and laughed. "How is this mystery man of yours any better than me?"

"I could list all of them but we'd be here all night. So I'll be brief. He's sweeter, funnier, and ten times better in bed than you ever were." Rei lifted her chin in defiance.

"No way," Jed's eye twitched in annoyance. Apparently that got to him.

"Oh yes way," Rei smiled. "You see, Jed. The thing about him is he's got actual substance instead of being all about style. He makes me feel things I never thought I could ever feel with a man." She went on and on but at that last statement her mind was filling in blanks she didn't say out loud. 'Like safe, respected, appreciated, and…'

Flashes in her mind of all the times Goten would look at her, in and out of the bedroom, staring at her like she was the only person in the world. There was a deep intensity in it, like her very presence was the only thing keeping the breath in his body. And yet, at the same time there was also a softness to it. It reflected his gentle nature, the kind of understanding she hadn't realized she had yearned for. All of the times they found themselves tangled in between her sheets, panting, chests heaving, fingers intertwining. He would give her a look that filled a space in her heart that she didn't even know existed. Goten knew her inside and out, looked past the walls she had built up to keep herself from getting hurt. Rei could let herself be naked with him in more than the physical sense. Never had she imagined the class clown being the only guy she truly felt intimate with.

"You know, I think you leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me." A genuine smile graced her lips. "I wouldn't trade my guy for you even if it meant shaving my head." She added, snickering at the thought.

Goten would no doubt laugh at Jed's expense and still call her beautiful. He didn't care what other people would have thought if they walked down the street holding hands. Knowing him, he'd probably sport a yellow mohawk so they could both look ridiculous together. All as long as they got to hold hands and laugh. No one she dated would make her feel better than that.

The breath she was taking was sucked in her teeth when she felt a vice like grip on her upper arm tugging her close enough to gag at the potent aroma of sake and maybe some beer.

"So where is this mystery guy? Huh, Rei? Where is he?" He demanded.

"Jed, let go. You're hurting me," she wasn't afraid but she was surprised at how forceful and aggressive he was behaving.

"Admit it, Rei. He doesn't exist because you still love me!" Her ex growled

"One last time, Jed. Let me go now." She said in a seriously assertive tone.

"Why would I do that, Rei? I thought you wanted me to hold you more when we were together. You all but begged for it." He took her waist with the other hand to press her against him.

"Oh that's it," Rei was about to jerk her way free when he grabbed her by her hair to jerk her head up to try to kiss her. Rei, acting fast, delivered an abrupt head butt in order to get distance between them. She scowled at him in disgust. "Never touch me again, you pig!" She put up her fists and took up a fighting stance she perfected when sparring with Makoto, just waiting for this asshole to make another wrong move.

"You bitch," Jed pulled his arm back ready to swing at her when he was pulled back and a fist decked him in the jaw.

Rei blinked as her ex went down hard.

"You heard my girlfriend. Don't you ever touch her again." Goten made his warning loud and clear, glaring daggers into him. He silently dared Jed to try to hit him back so that he would make him regret ever trying to lay a hand on his lover. Just one more and he'd break his hands to make sure he couldn't use them on anyone else.

Lucky for Jed, he was in so much pain from the hit that he burst into tears and ran off, still wobbling from the dizziness. The sight brought Rei a wave of relief. The shrine maiden knew he would never bother her again after making a total ass of himself.

"Are you okay?" She turned to meet her date's look of concern.

She gave a small nod but kept eye contact, "So, my girlfriend?" His words were repeated in a curious tone with a raised brow.

A sheepish smile grazed his lips as the flush on his cheeks grew redder. The beating of his heart quickened when realizing he had said that out loud while defending his date's honor. "You know, I just wanted to get the point across, that you moved on from him…" He offered with a small shrug. As soon as that left his lips he exhaled in defeat. "Oh, who am I kidding? Rei, I'm serious about you."

To his surprise and delight, she stared up at him in awe and felt a smile slowly form on her full rosy lips. Hearing him say that didn't spook her, in fact, it looked like that was the most heartwarming thing she ever heard. "Yeah, I'm serious about you too." She stepped closer, took his collar in one hand, and caressed his face with the other. She leaned in for the kiss.

His arms went around her and met her lips without hesitation, the kiss making his heart soar.

Meanwhile, the group of girls had witnessed and heard their exchange from afar and continued to stare. "Aw, how romantic! I'm still real confused at how this happened but they look so happy." Usagi wiped away the happy tears gathering in her eyes.

"I knew it all along, from the very beginning." Minako boasted.

"You did not," Ami squinted at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Well, now I feel terrible." Makoto sighed. She had just been on her way to apologize for ruining what could have been a good night among friends. Now that she had seen the truth between their relationship, Makoto knew she misjudged Rei. "I guess I can wait to make my amends until after they come up for air."

"Taking bets on them banging TONIGHT!" Minako announced as the firework show began.

* * *

Once their time at the festival was over the two walked home hand in hand. "This is me." She said as they reached the top of the steps. "Thanks for the memorable night. I don't think I had this much fun on a date before."

"I don't know if we can ever top punching your ex, but I hope every other date will be just as fun."

"I have a feeling it will be, knowing you." She giggled, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Good night."

"Can I kiss you good night?" Goten asked, remembering his first date etiquette despite the nonverbal invitation.

"What do you think? I don't hold people like this to check for food stuck in their teeth."

"Speaking of, check me." He gave her his signature grin.

Rei rolled her eyes. "You're clean. Now kiss me good night already," she was both joking and losing patience with her silly date.

"Good night," he gave her a light, sweet kiss. Another followed, and another after that. Goten didn't even notice he was going down her jawline and towards her neck when Rei spoke up.

"Goten," she breathed, gently pushing him back enough for his lips to move away from her skin.

"Sorry, I forgot this was an actual date." Goten he spoke softly while resting his forehead against hers.

"And you know I'm not the type to put out on the first date." Rei winked.

At that he lost it and let out a loud laugh. "Oh, that was good!" He was holding his sides in the middle of a giggle fit before Rei insisted he quiet down.

"Shush, Grandpa could be sleeping." She playfully smacked him before they walked to her house.

"Sorry," he snickered. "Didn't know he was in tonight."

"Supposedly he's on a hot date himself, but old people usually turn in early for the night." Rei explained as she slid the front door open.

"From what I smell, he's not here yet." Goten sniffed the air and checked for ki to be safe. "Could be spending the night elsewhere."

Rei bit her lip and looked him up and down to decide her next move.

"I'm okay with whatever you choose, Rei. But may I remind you that I'm good at keeping secrets when it counts? I'll tell anyone that asks that you made me wait a long time. Which isn't a lie if you count sophomore year!" Goten blabbed, clearly wanting to be let in desperately.

A slender finger pressed against his lips to silence him. "I could use some help out of my yukata." She whispered.

He swooned at that. "That I can definitely do!"

As to be expected, Goten slept over. Surprisingly they didn't go all the way that night. Partly was out of respect for the well-known first date rule and the other was both of them being out of condoms. They got by with their mouths and fell asleep holding one another.

* * *

The next morning Rei had slept in, very unlike herself. Grandpa took a tray of tea down the hall and heard something in the guest powder room. He put down the tray, sat, and waited for whomever flushed the toilet to come out.

Goten was still half asleep as he opened the door and exited the bathroom, head hung low from tiredness. When his lowered gaze caught the sight of the old bald man, his eyes went wide and he froze in place.

"Morning," Rei's grandfather greeted him before taking a sip of his tea.

"Morning," Goten offered meekly. He was busted yet again!

"Who are you?"

"Son Goten, sir." he bowed, still frigid from the nervousness.

At that moment the lady of the hour walked in and froze like a statue.

"Rei, why's this strapping young lad here?" Grandpa smirked.

"Um, well he's…we," Rei cleared her throat. "We went out last night, and then came back late. He lives far away and his mother worries about him so he stayed the night!" Rei shuffled in place.

"On a date?" The old man pressed on.

"Y-Yes, Grandpa." Rei sighed. She knew her grandfather wasn't keen on her dating, but she couldn't keep it a secret anymore. They were officially dating now. He'd have to get used to it.

"Oh thank heavens," the priest breathed with relief. "I knew you had a boy over ever since that day you said you were going to the beach with your friends. After all, those shoes that got left by the door weren't mine or my size." He belted out a laugh.

"You knew this whole time?" Her jaw fell.

"I admit I was getting worried about why you didn't want me to meet him. Luckily, from what I see, I don't have any complaints. He seems like a good, strong, young man." He smiled and got up on his feet. "Well, breakfast is ready. Come sit with us, Goten."

"Okay," Goten smiled and went with it, in total disbelief. It looked like this was the start of a truly remarkable relationship.

* * *

That night Goten stayed at his house and decided to call Rei.

"Goten, its almost 1AM. What is it?" Rei mumbled.

"I can't sleep. I'm sorry that I bothered you. I'll hang up now," Goten frowned, about to press the button when he heard her voice on the other line.

"Why can't you sleep?"

"I don't know a lot of things going through my mind right now. I told my mom we're dating and she'd like to meet you. I think you guys would hit it off. Is that okay with you?" Goten nervously twiddled his thumbs.

"Yes, Goten. It's okay. I mean, you already met Grandpa and he adores you. So, its fair I meet your mom." Rei shrugged while laying on her back.

"Great! Heh, your gramps is the coolest. Why didn't you tell me he was so funny?"

"Because I only have patience for one of you at a time, blockhead." She answered honestly, the drowsiness leaving her with no filter.

"I think I miss being next to you right now, hearing your voice. Just listening to you now is helping me relax," he paused to yawn. "Wow, I'm already sleepy just like that."

"There you go," Rei cracked a small smile as her eyes closed. "Sleep tight."

"You too. Thanks a lot, Rei." Goten smiled as he got comfortable in his bed.

"Text me," she murmured softly.

"Will do," Goten yawned again. "I love you." He breathed, eyes closing.

When there was only a thud on the other line his eyes snapped open in realization at what he just said out loud. "Rei? Hello, Rei?" His head jerked up and saw that the call was hung up and felt a panic slowly creep up into his mind. 'Oh crap, crap, crap…'

What Goten didn't know was the call ended as soon as Rei dropped the phone in her sleep, already snoozing before she could hear his confession.


End file.
